Bay Oaks 2005 girls use hard-nosed style

If there is one thing that can be said about the Bay Oaks high school-aged teams, is that they are hard-nosed. It's a theme you will hear on repeat, and that philosophy comes directly from the High School Director Alejandro Mendoza. And the 2005 NPL2 team that Mendoza coaches lives up to that reputation, being very tough and organized defensively, and moving with pace when going forward. This team, led by nine fantastic players, is performing well in conference play and will be in the NorCal Regionals in June. <strong>Ila Cantrell, Keeper</strong> Cantrell, who is the keeper at Encinal, has great size, is great in the air because she is strong, fearless, and can keep her balance even when she is getting bumped. On top of all that, she is a great shot-stopper who has incredible reaction speed and reflexes. [caption id="attachment_42815" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/04/Alison-Jenson-scaled-crop-2027x1331-1650300484.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-42815" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/04/Alison-Jenson-scaled-crop-2027x1331-1650300484-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Nelson Layag[/caption] <strong>Alison Jenson, Striker</strong> Jensen also attends Encinal and is coming into her own as a striker. She has a very powerful strike, and is learning to be more assertive and is becoming more dominant. She is a very clinical player, and now she is putting it all together by learning how to be a finisher. [caption id="attachment_42825" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/04/Marissa-Lekashman-scaled-crop-1990x1307-1650302357.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-42825" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/04/Marissa-Lekashman-scaled-crop-1990x1307-1650302357-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Nelson Layag[/caption] <strong>Marissa Lekashman, Attacking Midfielder</strong> The theme here is that Encinal will be very good in the high school season, as Lekashman joins Cantrell and Jensen. Lekashman loves to go forward and is a threat to shoot, and score, from 25-35 yards out. She is very fearless, she is strong in the air, and very good about switching and connecting play. <strong>Sabine Meggysy, Central Defender</strong> Meggysy is next in the line of tough central defenders at Berkeley High. And tough is putting it lightly as Meggysy is someone you want on your side in a scrap. She is incredibly hard-nosed, very physical with great timing with her slide tackles. She is also very strong in the air. <strong>Raquel McCollum, Central Midfielder</strong> The Bishop O'Dowd midfielder works hard on both sides of the ball. She sits back well and does not get impatient and can wait for the ball to come to her instead of getting out of position. Once she gains possession she is great at playing what's in front of her. She sees several moves ahead of others, she is competitive and she works very hard. <strong>Jaela Nero, Forward</strong> Nero attends Skyline in Oakland and plays on the right wing. She is fast. So fast, in fact, that she could be a track star if she wanted to. Her pace sets her apart from others. She goes right at defenders and puts pressure on defenders, making them work. On top of that, she's a hard worker. <strong>Maya Polzin, Striker</strong> Does anyone remember this name? She was a standout as a freshman at Berkeley, leading NCS DI teams in goals, and then scored 18 goals in 10 games during the pandemic shortened season. She missed this past season with a torn ACL and should be cleared this fall. What a boon it will be for Bay Oaks. She is growing into her body, she has good size, great speed, and is very fearless going forward. <strong>Angie St. Dennis, Forward</strong> St. Dennis, another Encinal product, plays on the left wing, and is another very fast player. She is very strong in 1v1 situations and is very good in the air despite being a smaller player. She is fearless, hard-nosed and someone you have to pay attention to on the weak side, or she will slash inside and score. [caption id="attachment_42827" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/04/Claire-Wong-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1650302417.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-42827" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/04/Claire-Wong-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1650302417-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Nelson Layag[/caption] <strong>Claire Wong, Central Defender</strong> Wong has been with Bay Oaks for five years and plays high school at College Prep. She is what you love to see with a central defender as she is hard-working, fierce, and very methodical. She sees angled and beats attackers to the spot. She is seeing the pieces on the board play out before others do.